英国社会与文化论文

BritishParliament:MotherofParliamentsWhenitcomestoBritishParliament,thefirstimpressionoccurstousis“MotherofParliaments”.WearetoldthatmanyothercountriesfollowedthemodelofBritaintoestablishtheirownparliaments.However,whatmadeBritishParliament“MotherofParliament”?Belowaresomeofmypoints.First,ithasthelongesthistory.In1215,thelordsforcedKingJohntosigntheGreatCharter,whichcoveredtwoimportantmatters:notaxshouldbemadewithouttheapprovalofthecouncil,andnofreedomshouldbearrestedorimprisonedexceptbythelawoftheland(ChangJunyue,p.50).AfterKingJohndied,hisson,HenryIII,wantedtodefeatthelordsandtheircharterbutfailed.Thistime,thelordsforcedhimtoacceptthecharterandthe“parliament”,includingthelords,churchmenandknightsfromeachcounty.Inordertoraisefundsforwars,EdwardIopenedanewparliamentin1295.Peoplecalleditthemodelparliamentbecauseitscompositionbecamethemodelforlaterparliaments.ThemodelparliamentisthebeginningofBritishParliament.Second,italwaysstruggledtolimitthemonarchy.Sinceitsbirth,Parliamenthasstartedthefightagainstautocracy.TherewerealotofdespotsinancientBritain.TheywereirreconcilablewithParliamentandintendedtowithdrawitspowers.Therefore,Parliamentusedvariousmethodstoprotectitselfandconstrainedtheking’spower.Itinfluencedthestateaffairsbypetitioningtotheking,weakenedthemonarchybyfinancialpowersandeventhreatenedthekingbywars.Atlast,Parliamentmanagedtodefeatthemonarchyandmakeitworkforparliamentarysovereignty.Becauseofthese,BritishParliamentisknownas“thecradleofdemocracy”.Third,itcreatednewelectoralsystem.Beforetheearlynineteenthcentury,theelectoralsystemofParliamentwasundercontroloftheking,sofeudalofficialsandrichpeoplecouldmanipulateelections.Nevertheless,since1832,Parliamentcarriedoutaseriesofreforms.Thesereformmeasuresgraduallyabolishedrestrictionsonpropertyandgenderofvotersanddeterminedtheconstituenciesbyadministrativedivisions.ThuscommonpeoplecouldenterParliamenttoparticipateintopolitics,whichacceleratedtheprocessofdemocratizationinUK.Forth,italsocreatedpartysystem.Beforethemid-19thcenturypoliticsinBritainwasalreadydominatedbytheWhigsandtheTories,buttheywerenotpoliticalpartiesinthemodernsense.Afterthereforms,bothevolvedintothepoliticalpartiesandpartysystemcametomature:theleaderofthepartywithmostmembersintheHouseofCommonsbecomesPrimeMinisterandhechoosesotherMinistersfromhisownpartycolleagues.ThepartywiththenextlargestnumberbecomestheOpposition.ThissystemmakespoliticalpartiesinParliamentmoresystematizedandinstitutionalized.Also,competitionbetweentheRulingandtheOppositionmakesParliamentmoredemocratic.Inconclusion,BritishParliamentisoneoftheearliestdemocraticpoliticalinstitutionsinhumanhistory.Itsoriginalitybringsitthetitleof“MotherofParliaments”anditsspiritwillinfluencetheworldforever.Bibliography常俊跃，英国历史文化，北京：北京大学出版社，2010朱永涛，EssentialsofBritishandAmericanCultures,北京：外语教学与研究出版社，2007